When Worlds Collide
by FearMyLvl
Summary: When the power of the Ancients proves too much for the world of the Mad Moon, how will their heroes fair in Valoran?
1. Beginning

**A/N: Hello to any LoL/DotA crossover fans that might still exist! I'm trying a hand at these myself as I find both these games to be equally fun and fascinating in lore. But this is only my second story I have posted on the internet (the first one is purely LoL) so I'm hoping to any of you that read this; don't be shy and please leave a review! (constructive criticism recommended and needed)**

**A HUGE THANKS TO MY BETA READER: Supreme Distraction for catching probably all of the errors that I made in here, trust it would be far worse without her editing :3**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Gondar narrowed his eyes at the Dire Team: Invoker was quietly conversing with Nevermore, who's form had changed ever since consuming Shadow Demon. Flames licked the obsidian cage that was his chest and a vortex of fire blazed underneath him, allowing the Abyssal being to hover over the ground. Mortred, Oracle, and Lycan were nowhere to be found, likely in their fountain or off farming in the jungle.<p>

The Bounty Hunter signaled to the rest of his team waiting behind the wall.

Track was placed upon Shadow Fiend, the bright flare granted vision, and allowed Shendelzare to swap places with him before she blinked back to her team. Nevermore had barely a chance to react before he was hit with a shuriken toss, dragon's tail and magic missile – stunning him in quick succession before he was reduced to a black spot on the ground. But the power of the Dire Ancient s prevented him from being banished back to the Abysm.

Kael was almost surprised by that.

Almost.

"Claws of Tornarus!"

A mighty typhoon threw the Radiant Heroes into the sky, rendering them helpless for a precious few seconds and the missing three Dire Heroes appeared at the bottom lane, quickly slaying all the opposing minions and clearing a path for their own.

Invoker managed to hold off the combined forces of Bounty Hunter, Vengeful Spirit, Silencer, Dragon Knight, and Skywrath Mage for several moments: an extractive mana pulse draining the five heroes of their energy. Twin forge spirits bearing an eerie resemblance to Nevermore launched molten projectiles at Davion, causing him to duck behind his shield, lest he be incinerated. Despite this, Kael's robes began to turn crimson as Nortrom's enchanted glaives cut deep wounds, forcing the ancient spellcaster to retreat.

Invoker's form flickered for a moment before it disappeared, the immortal using his Ghost Walk to allow light to pass through him, yet the flare Gondar had placed was still visible, providing a rather humorous sight as the marker seemed to float across the ground, limping towards the Dire Fountain.

Dragonus shook his head before he called down a mystic flare and Kael barely had time to realize his doom before he was incinerated by the rapid bursts of light.

With the path clear the Radiant Heroes advanced with their minions, allowing the smaller humanoids to soak up the bolts of energy from the Dire turrets.

They heard a distant explosion as another one of their buildings fell to the Dire trio's assaults.

"Should we return to defend?" Nortrom asked as he pulled his massive throwing star from the ruins of a tower.

Davion shook his head and replied, "No." His amber eyes blazed brightly in the shadows of his helmet. "Finish this now—we need not wait any longer."

Bounty Hunter nodded as his twin blades cracked the stone of a building. "Agreed."

"Do not be foolish, I will return to prevent our ancient from falling," Dragonus declared.

Dragon Knight glanced at the mage from the corner of his eye. "You'll be slaughtered."

Vengeful Spirit stepped beside the winged Skywrath, who quickly descended to the ground. "Then I shall accompany him," She declared.

Bounty Hunter closed his eyes for a moment as he compared the advantages of two heroes defending their base.

"Then go. Now. Before it's too late," Gondar ordered as his Jinada-enhanced weapon carved a deep gash in a tower.

They both nodded in unison and quickly used their teleport scrolls to move back to their ancient.

* * *

><p>Mortred's Paradox Blades tore the Radiant buildings apart and Lycan worked alongside her while Nerif shot bolts of energy that chipped away at the dense stone.<p>

"Shendelzare and Dragonus are here," growled the werewolf, his keen perceptions detecting two new scents in close proximity.

The Phantom Assassin's lip twisted in a smirk as she turned towards the prophet. "Marked for death I presume?"

Oracle nodded. "Of course."

A stifling dagger flew towards Skywrath Mage as he stepped from the Radiant fountain, the combination of enchantments and toxins coating the blade piercing his armor and entering his bloodstream. It dulled his senses and made his movements sluggish, forcing him to struggle as he attempted to recite the incantations he had learned in the Ghastly Eyrie.

It did not help that Mortred seemed to appear and disappear at random while a breathy laugh echoed around, as Dragonus attempted to regain his bearings. He managed to fire a mystic flare at Banehallow who barely took notice as the attack was nullified by Oracle's Fate's Edict.

Her swords descended, the infinitesimally sharp edges finding their mark on the throat of the winged Skywrath.

For a moment, a doppelganger of the mage appeared behind him, sporting the same slit throat, before both of them collapsed and The past Dragonus quickly faded while the present one landed with a crunch on the ground.

Vengeful Spirit let loose a nightmarish scream - causing Lycanthrope to flinch at the noise - as blood pooled around the fallen mage's body and the wingless Skywrath netherswapped her position with that of Phantom Assassin's.

Mortred grinned as the fountain's tower targeted her.

She became a silvery blue blur, dodging the deadly projectiles with ease. Her expression faltered for a moment as she was struck by a magic missile, thought the turret's bolts struck true she felt nothing. Phantom Assassin's eyes flickered to Oracle, who gave a near imperceptible nod, signaling to her that he had indeed given her the False Promise.

With a silent thanks to Nerif she ended Shendelzare's life before she returned her attention to the ancient. Banehallow had already taken the two towers closest to the Radiant and now the Dire Heroes had unimpeded access to their objective.

Mortred blinked behind Lycan and finished the ancient with a graceful pirouette of her blades.

* * *

><p>At the exact same time, across the battlefield Gondar delivered a final strike to the shell of the Dire ancient.<p>

Then, reality shattered.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I hope you enjoyed that andI do plan on continuing this if it gets a positive enough response :D**

**Leave a review if you feel like it to tell me what your thoughts are on this.**

**That's all for now folks!**

**Thanks for reading and until next time!**


	2. Alert

**A/N: WOW! I'm definitely continuing this story considering the awesome response you guys have given me! Looks like the LoL/DotA Fans aren't gone. So here's the next chapter!**

**My beta reader is sick right now so I apologize if the writing quality is below par :c**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Ryze stood in the meeting room, impatiently tapping his foot against the ornate floor.<p>

They had been waiting for the arrival of the rest of the scouting party for at least ten minutes.

While he was bored, the Rogue Mage had observed the room in his boredom, noting the curve of the arches in the ceiling and the flamboyant murals on the walls.

He quickly turned his mind back to the event that had led him here in the first place, and contemplated what the disturbance could be: an undiscovered nexus? A hidden hextech bomb planted by Noxians? An immensely powerful artifact unveiling itself to the world?

Well he would never find out if the others didn't show up before he became nothing but bones.

Just as the Rogue Mage was prepared to set out on his own, Jarvan the 4th arrived, escorted by Garen, Xin Zhao and Shyvana with Lux and Ezreal in tow.

Fiora and Lux entered the door separately before settling on opposite sides of the room.

Merely the thought of those two bickering as they made their journey was enough to make Ryze silently groan in frustration.

The Exemplar of Demacia tapped his lance against the marble, quickly drawing everyone's attention.

"As you know, a massive arcane distortion has taken place at the tip of Kaladoun, west of the Serpentine River. The expedition will only consist of the champions in this room and a few high ranking summoners."

At this a number of purple robed figures entered the room. Their footsteps were silent and the color of their clothing did not betray their allegiance.

"The journey will likely take several days, so if you have not done so already, I suggest you take whatever is necessary for the trip."

Jarvan scanned their faces, looking for any potential inquiries.

"May I assume everyone is prepared?"

He was met with a roomful of nods. Satisfied, he and the rest of the reconnaissance entourage departed the conference area and made a beeline for the northern gate, where their carriages would be awaiting them.

* * *

><p>The party made their way across the countryside, through forests and over hills, all the while discussing what the anomaly would possibly be.<p>

Galio flew overhead, providing an eye in the sky along with Valor. Quinn had already been waiting by their transportation, packing up some final items for the expedition and feeding the Demacian Eagle at the same time.

The two aerial scouts seemed to get along well so there was no point in keeping an eye on them.

The few members who knew the most about magic rode in a single vehicle so they could easily debate what the event could and could not have been. But the summoners had elected to reside in an entirely separate carriage.

Ryze sat across the Prodigal Explorer in the rectangular space, while Lux sat beside him. Garen had desperately wanted to ride with them to ensure the blonde boy didn't try anything with the Might of Demacia's little sister.

Fortunately, the Rogue Mage had argued with him, stating that if he joined them for the trip, the cart the sat in might very well collapse, and not to mention the horses would be worked to the point of exhaustion from carrying a two hundred pound man in full battle armor.

But finally, Ryze's constant haggling, coupled with the duty of protecting the prince of Demacia, Garen grudgingly promised to ride with Jarvan, but not before threatening Ezreal with several unmentionable punishments should he try anything with the Lady of Luminosity.

With Ezreal sufficiently traumatized the trio began their discussion.

The blue skinned mage began, "Well I've gone through the library of the institute and the energy signature recorded doesn't match any wavelength we've ever encountered before."

"Nor was it any sort of explosion, from what we've observed so far, the structure of the anomaly seems to be similar to a mirror shattering." he continued.

The Prodigal Explorer replied, "I checked all the relics I recovered so far and none of them even come close to the type this thing's released."

The two turned to Lux who was rapidly flipping through a book, looking for something only known to her.

Ezreal opened his mouth to say something but was immediately silenced by a slender finger belonging to the blonde mage.

A few seconds later, Lux sighed in defeat and put the book away and retracted her hand.

"I couldn't find anything."

The duo fell back into their seats, defeated.

"So we wait until we arrive at the site of origin?" asked Ryze in his scratchy voice.

The blonde pair nodded in unison, resigning themselves to wait.

The Rogue Mage however, was far too impatient for that and decided to ask a few questions.

"So..." Ryze spoke as he thought back to his encounter with the overly protective Might of Demacia. "Why does Garen hate you so... vehemently Ezreal?"

The Prodigal Explorer blinked at the question before he shared a look with Lux. A moment of silence passed between them, making the blue skinned mage raise an eyebrow.

A blush suffused Ezreal's cheeks as the Lady of Luminosity only chuckled, further adding to the Rogue Mage's confusion.

Ryze sighed, for it was obvious he wouldn't get anything out of the two humans.

He picked up the spellbook he always carried around with him and decided to read it from cover to cover, hoping it would shed some light on the mystery they were traveling towards.

* * *

><p>"Once we reach the distortion I want the quarantine unit to establish a clear perimeter, no one is to go in or out of it without my express permission."<p>

High Summoner Vessaria Kolminye's eyes moved from summoner to summoner to confirm that they acknowledged what she had said.

"And if the Demacians have any inquiries tell them they can talk to me personally."

The hooded summoners nodded once more and remained silent.

"Now, Summoner Fiaine, any information on what we could be encountering?"

One of the robed figures shook its head. "Nothing in recorded history has matched this event, this is an entirely new phenomenon we have never encountered before."

"Nothing from the Prodigal Explorer's journals either?" Kolminye replied.

The summoner shook its head in the negative.

It might have been disconcerting for an outsider to see a carriage full of hooded figures that were covered head to toe in rich purple robes, an impenetrable darkness blocked the view to any of their faces and the clothing baggy enough to hide any indication of gender. Their voice was the only way they could be remotely identified, and only then by sex.

Vessaria turned to face another seemingly indistinguishable summoner, but she had committed their names and faces to memory as soon as she had met them in the institute.

"And you summoner Libatis? Anything gleaned from the Rogue Mage or Lady of Luminosity?"

A shaken head was her response.

The High Summoner tilted her head in acknowledgment and quietly sat back into her seat.

With no further questioning the conglomeration of summoners settled into a comfortable silence while Kolminye rapidly created and discarded possible scenarios, preparing herself for whatever the anomaly could hold.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I just wanted to write this chapter so people have some idea that the factions of Valoran are responding to this. My apologies if its below par, I realized I have no experience writing most of the characters in here. :c**

**I already have the next chapter done and I'm just going through some final edits and it'll be released very soon so stay tuned for that!**

_**WxikkY, Anonmity12, paradoxjr, BlastoiseBlue, GETH Prime, and FrostLight7 – **_**Thank you for following! It's heartening to see that this fandom isn't dead and thank guys for the support!**

**FrostLight7 – Thank you! I find it sad that both communities can't enjoy the two games equally and have to engage in a pointless war over it. I'll definitely take a look at the starting sentence again and thank you for the feedback!**

**GETH Prime – I'll primarily be focusing on the heroes I've mentioned so far, but once the tale of the first ten heroes are finished, I'll continue this (hopefully) and the reactions will definitely be interesting to see!**

**BlastoiseBlue – My thanks. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!**

**Guest – Ahhhh! Such a derp mistake XD thank you for pointing that out to me, I originally had Faceless Void instead of Lycan but decided to put Lycan there instead and I missed taking out Void's name. Meepo and Faceless will definitely be making an appearance after the saga of these ten heroes are finished. Carries = Tons of damage :) Thank you for reviewing!**

**DasPeas – Here it is! I hope you enjoyed it!**

**And one last request to you guys (and possibly gals) leave a ship you guys want in the reviews! I'll put the options in a poll you guys can vote for and see which ones are most popular. I'm doing this early so I have a bit of preparation before I write the rest of the story out. And pairs I've already decided on are: the obvious Dragonus x Shendelzare (derrr, this one is canon too... so ye) Ezreal x Lux (UNLESS, you guys really want him to ship him with someone else, vote in the poll!) and I'm still thinking about Bounty Hunter x Phantom Assassin but that seems kinda weird so I'll leave you guys to decide that one.**

**SO LEAVE THE SHIPS YOU WANT IN THE REVIEWS. I EXPECT TO SEE A FULL FLEET FORMING IN THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS.**

**AND VOTE IN THE POLL ONCE ITS UP!**

**Don't hesitate to leave a review! Feedback is always noted and affects the story!**

**That's all for now folks! See ya next time!**


	3. Conscious

**A/N: My sincerest apologies for making all of you wait so long :c I didn't have access to my computer. BUT ENOUGH OF 's the next chapter so enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Gondar had a mind-shattering migraine when he woke up.<p>

He automatically stifled a groan; Soruq had trained him too well for mere discomfort to possibly give away his position.

But his resolve was further tested when he opened his eyes, and instead of being met with the familiar orange glow of the battlefield, the sky was an annoyingly bright blue: forcing him to blink several times to be able to see without being blinded.

Bounty Hunter analyzed his surroundings through squinted eyes and immediately realized he wasn't on the battlefield anymore. Greens trees, verdant grass and the sound of wildlife were dead giveaways. No natural life form could be unscathed by the catastrophic amount of energy released during a fight between the champions of the two Ancients.

The purple robes of Silencer caught his attention, a small part of him felt relief at seeing an ally nearby. Yet this also posed another question: were any of the Dire here?

Gondar scanned the area and soon paled at the sight of the unconscious forms of Shadow Fiend, Mortred, and Kael. Nevermore was more noticeable by the charred ground him and the wisps of smoke that floated around him.

He was outnumbered two to three but he could still make this work, especially with Nortrom here.

_Alright if he can silence the three of them I should be able to kill Invoker without too much trouble. Shadow Fiend won't be too much of a hassle either, but Phantom Assassin..._

The Bounty Hunter's thoughts were interrupted when Mortred began to stir. Even though she was infused with the power of the Paradox Blades, it seemed the assassin wasn't infallible to pain.

He disappeared in a puff smoke and stalked closer towards the ethereal woman, being extremely careful not to make any noise.

Lucky for him Mortred was distracted in familiarizing herself with the new environment, giving him him a small window to move in closer.

_Jinada to slow, follow with shuriken toss to stun._

His plan went askew almost instantly.

Gondar was right next to her, his blade descending on her spine when she suddenly became blurred and his strike sliced through empty air.

He whipped around and saw the edge of a sword moving towards his throat. Bounty Hunter leaned back as the blade passed a hairsbreadth away from his skin and circled back to its owner.

Mortred's eyes flashed with animosity, making the blue light from her eyes flare for a moment as her mouth curved into a grin.

They launched into a duel, weapons blurring and disappearing faster than the eye could see. The sapphire glow from Phantom Assassin's swords were barely visible as she parried the flashes of steel from Gondar's blades.

Years of harsh training in the monastery of the Sisters of the Veil pitted against the legendary tales of the Bounty Hunter: and both were evenly matched.

A few seconds passed before a perfectly aimed glaive knocked Mortred off balance as she parried both weapons at the same time. Gondar pounced on the opportunity, his hunting knife arced towards the Phantom Assassin's exposed throat.

Bounty Hunter was on his back, a searing pain in his chest when he registered what just happened: Shadow Fiend had thrown a bolt of demonfire at him just as he was about to secure the kill.

His snarl was hidden by his mask as he leapt back to his feet and was ready to go for another round when he felt an indescribable cold clutch everything below his neck.

"ENOUGH!"

Gondar's eyes darted towards the source of the voice: Invoker.

He flickered his eyes towards everyone else and saw they were all encased in ice as he was; with the peculiar exception of Shadow Fiend. Either ice didn't work on him as he had flames bursting from his ribcage or Invoker chose – for some inconceivable reason - to bind the demon.

"Halt your childish fighting, the Ancients are no longer with us." he boomed.

The Bounty Hunter's blood red eyes narrowed as he hissed a reply, "And how do you know?"

Invoker merely raised an eyebrow. "You are the legendary Gondar, I'm sure your perception is more than sufficient."

Thinking back to his earlier observations, he grudgingly agreed with Kael.

The Aeol Drian man however, was far too distracted in his predicament to listen.

"Release me _Invoker_, and I promise I'll kill you painlessly." growled Nortrom as he futilely struggled to free himself from the ice.

The usual arrogance was apparently gone from the blonde man's personality as he answered gravely, "Silencer, I do not jest."

The purple robed man was about to utter a scathing reply when Gondar interrupted, "He's right Silencer, as much as I hate saying it." Bounty Hunter grimaced. "I can't feel the power of either Ancient and you know how difficult it is to do that."

Nortrom glared at the feline humanoid. "We will see if he speaks the truth."

Curiously, Gondar noted that Phantom Assassin was also captured in ice.

"Mortred, I trust you will not attempt to kill our new allies?" Kael asked. He had worked with the assassin long enough to know she would attempt to finish her contracts whenever possible.

Mortred grumbled. "Next time, I'll assess before I assassinate..."

Taking that as a positive, Invoker melted the ice around all three of them and carefully watched the three of them to ensure they wouldn't fly at each other's throats the moment he looked away.

"Nevermore, if you could: Can you revert back to your original form? The trail of ashes will be extremely difficult to conceal." requested Invoker.

There was a swooshing sound as the flames from Shadow Fiend's ribcage were suddenly extinguished.

The resident of the Absym had many voices stacked upon each other, all of them resonating deeply as he spoke, "You ask much of me Kael, for I am far weaker in this form."

"Well." Invoker replied, "It is beneficial that we are not engaged in combat then."

Gondar raised an invisible eyebrow. "Since when are all of you on a first name bases?"

"This is my only name." The three Dire heroes responded simultaneously.

Kael continued, "Besides, Nevermore is one of the few beings I can intelligently converse with."

"What about me?" Phantom Assassin questioned.

"My apologies Mortred, but my topics do not only linger on the art of assassination."

"Hmph."

"We're getting off topic." Nortrom growled, "Where are we _mage_? He spat out the last word like an insult.

If Invoker was insulted he showed no signs of it as he answered, "I'm not sure, but the arcanic veins of this land are damaged horrendously, I cannot fathom what could have twisted the skeins of magic into such a state."

The five of them were silent before Bounty Hunter spoke, "We can figure it out when we reach civilization."

He took a deep breath. "But for now we need to construct a shelter, find food, water, fire and establish a secure perimeter."

Phantom Assassin's eyes flared bright blue in annoyance. "Who made you the leader?"

"He is correct Mortred." Kael said.

Gondar hid his surprise as Invoker came to his defense; the immortal was usually insufferably arrogant.

The assassin huffed in annoyance. "Well we have fire." she motioned towards Nevermore. "And I'm sure he can find fuel."

"I have several incantations that may prove useful in keep out unwanted visitors, I will go to form our boundaries." volunteered Kael.

Gondar nodded. "Very well, Phantom Assassin, Silencer and I will scout the surrounding area."

He continued, "We will meet back here in one hour."

Bounty Hunter disappeared in a burst of white smoke.

Invoker simply vanished.

Phantom Assassin seemed to shatter like a mirror before she too, was gone.

Shadow Fiend disappeared in a vortex of flames, leaving only a man with purple and gold armor, equipped with a glaive and a shield standing alone in the clearing.

"Stupid show offs..." grumbled Silencer as he trudged towards the forest.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Poor Silencer XD. Rest assured, he'll display his power eventually. And just in case anyone concerned with OOCness I decided to make Phantom Assassin kinda of playful but still deadly, I kinda got that impression from her dialogue, so hopefully none of you guys have a problem with that. Invoker is still arrogant, just not in this situation, but I will make him insufferable once he reaches the Institute.**

_**SolInvictus, Marckaizer, and kravenmato: **_**Thank you for following and favoriting, the alerts keep me motivated! **

**Sarle33321 – Well as you can see, not yet, but soon! It may or may not come next chapter since the demacian party is still days away from the anomaly.**

**Paradoxjr – SK? May I assume you mean DK? Unless you actually mean Sand King, in which case... ew. And Ryze, along with other magicians are definitely gonna discuss magic with Invoker, and maybe Silencer. Yes, but I'm going to finish the story of these ten heroes first and that might take a while. THEY WILL BE ARRIVING THO, SO DON'T GIVE UP.**

**Wow you guys just threw Jarvan to the curb (lol), so its prolly gonna be Dragon Knight x Shyvana. So since I don't see any protests about Ez x Lux and BH x PA (yet) I'm probably gonna finalize it in the plot.**

**If you have any comments, ships or criticisms don't hesitate to leave them in the reviews!**

**Thanks for reading and see ya next time!**


	4. Past and Present

**A/N: Back again! I'll try to get chapters out more often but I'll do my best to not sacrifice quality. Anyways!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Gondar swept his eyes across the ground, wary of any creature that roamed the unknown land. Trees were closely placed together, grass grew thickly and the sound of wildlife echoed around him.<p>

A sharp _snap_ rang through the woods, he raised his blades and stalked silently through the forest to locate the noise.

He also made sure not to make the same mistake as he weaved between the trunks and kept vigilant for any signs of life. Gondar soon spotted the broken twig, along with several indentations in the grass.

_Hmm... Paw marks, similar to Ulfasaar but not bipedal. _

_I hope its edible._

He always proceeded cautious to ensure the prey he was chasing was actually kill-able. As he followed the trail, it reminded him of a time under the tutelage of his old mentor and the day that he had actually began remembering the lesson.

During his time under Soruq the Hunter, Gondar had once made the mistake of following the tracks of Broodmother back to one of her many lairs. Needless to say, the young bounty hunter was overwhelmed and trapped in a cocoon, preparing to be liquified then eaten.

Soruq expected this for Gondar _had _always been impulsive, despite the hunter's constant reprimanding. As he cut Bounty Hunter from his silk prison, he mused that perhaps this experience would finally temper the feline's brashness.

Gondar had nightmares about spiders for quite a while after, the event definitely went a ways to curb his impetuous actions.

A rustling in the bushes caught his attention and he slowly circled the shifting plant, a fur covered leg appeared, soon followed by the rest of the bear. It was raking its teeth across the foliage, keeping the red berries but spitting out the leaves.

His knife stabbed deep into the animal's eye, piercing its brain and killing it painlessly. The body toppled over but the wound did not bleed, something Soruq had taught him once to prevent them from being easily tracked.

Gondar also eyed the berries the bear had been eating moments earlier, perhaps they were edible too. Before he harvested them, he eyed the carcass, the ursine seemed like a good seven hundred pounds, which also presented the problem of how he would get it back to the meeting area.

_Lets see, skin the bear and keep anything from spilling out. Use the hide as a sled and drag it back?_

_Not a bad idea._

Bounty Hunter quickly set to work separating the fur of the bear from its muscle, something his sharp blades made quick work of. He gathered a small sample size of the crimson berries for Invoker to analyze before he tried them. Gondar withdrew a small coil of rope from his backpack and tied it around the neck of the bear hide, he cut a small branch from a tree and fixed it horizontally, giving him a strong grip and allowing him to walk normally and be combat ready at a moment's notice.

Gondar tested the load by pulling it a few times and found the contact between the grass and fur made little friction and he was soon returning to the landing site with his bounty.

* * *

><p>"Forge Spirit!"<p>

Two pockets of air shimmered in orange beside him before they materialized into twin beings of lava and obsidian. The duo immediately faced Kael and awaited orders.

"Patrol in a five hundred meter radius, alert me of any intruders."

The spirits bowed and floated off into the forest to perform their charge.

Invoker had been doing this for some time now, but a few more incantations and the area would soon be impenetrable. He had planted countless EMPs in a circle around their landing area, a trick he had learned from experiencing Lanaya's Psionic Traps. They were manual detonation only and had to be constantly monitored, but that was child's play for Kael's vast intellect.

As he summoned the last pair of forge spirits and sent them on their way, he decided to explore the terrain he had worked so hard to protect. Invoker easily memorized every detail he saw along his walk, from the number of visible leaves in a tree to the slight differences in the formations of grass. He was in potentially hostile territory now and came to the conclusion that any information about this land could be useful, thus he did not purge any observations he came across.

He internally pondered why this realm's mana had been so abused, the arcanic veins of the earth had been torn apart, twisted around before being stabbed several times. Kael stopped viewing the damage precisely fifty milliseconds after the first image had surfaced.

_Savages? No, the magic was too deliberate and powerful for it to be some primitive tribe's machinations._

_No traces of technology... Perhaps this place was indirectly affected?_

_From the air? Not likely, concentration isn't high enough amongst local fauna._

_Aquifer? Possibly, contaminated liquid could have mutated surrounding earth. If I can trace it back..._

_Yes, if I purify it before consumption, the corrupting properties could be negated._

Invoker's eyes glowed brighter as he peered into the tangled mass of energy just below the ground. The devastation seemed to be evenly spread out, but upon close inspection it originated in a point to the east. Unfortunately the source seemed to be too far away to transport practically and it was outside the barrier he had erected.

He quickly closed his eyes, unwilling to see such careless pollution of perfectly usable magic. Besides, viewing the destruction was akin to staring into a fresh wound, but at the same time old, as if it had never healed.

Kael continued his survey of the landscape in a long graceful strides as he debated with himself on the best way to return to his realm.

* * *

><p>Mortred stalked through the woods, intent on bringing in the biggest animal possible back to the meeting area.<p>

She would show Bounty Hunter the prowess of a true assassin, and not some second class tracker who knew how to swing around fish hook and a dagger.

Despite the fact that the fish hook and dagger somehow managed to hold off her Paradox Blades, she refused to even entertain such a thought as his weapons being as powerful as hers. Phantom Assassin rid herself of these thoughts as he scanned her surroundings and realized something: she had no idea how to track an animal. Her targets had been selected by the Sisters of the Veil and they were usually easy prey, but she had never had to locate a sacrifice on her own before.

But she he never backed down from a challenge! Not even when Oracle had pointed out targets for inter-dimensional assassination.

Yet even before that, she fondly remembered her first victim that she had selected from her meditation. The sacrifice was to be the prince of a small kingdom, the rest of her sisters had given her as much information as possible about the location, customs, the patrol routines of the royal guards and the details of her target.

Mortred swore to both herself and the Veiled Sisters she would prove her worth by fulfilling the sacrifice.

It took her three days to arrive in the kingdom, none of the villagers reacted to a hooded figure, it seemed like many interesting characters passed through the town rather often. She had no need to rest or resupply. The objectives were simple, infiltrate the castle, kill the prince and leave before anyone noticed.

As night fell, she scaled the walls, vigilant for any potential sentries. Sensing none the assassin flipped over the wall and landed softly in the courtyard before scanning her surroundings to confirm her information was accurate.

It was spacious, forty paces wide and eighty paces long, making the area a large rectangle. Trees had been planted in a pair of parallel lines leading to the gate of the inner keep, torches blazed in their sconces and guards moved back and forth both on the ramparts and on the ground. Their spears lightly tapped the cobblestone as they walked and swords swayed on their belts.

The building itself was rather dull: cold grey stone blocks built on upon the other, forming the four walls of the inner castle. Towers stood at each corner to provide a sweeping view of the surrounding area and a vantage point for archers. The gate was made of wood studded with iron and emblazoned with the kingdom's insignia in the center. Two guards stood on either side of the symbol, obviously unhappy with their posting as they had a hilarious lack of attention to the space around them, focusing solely on their conversation.

The humans were completely oblivious to her presence, despite the fact that she was not three feet away from the nearest one.

Mortred waited until the patrol passed by her and leaped into a tree, cautious not to shake the branches and in turn, the leaves. She had counted the time between each sentry group and leapt according to the intervals. A few minutes later, she was crouched in the tree closest to the keep, debating with herself to scale the walls or to enter through the door.

She could see the window to the princes room from here, quite a ways up and slightly to the right.

The assassin decided to take the inner route.

The two guards felt nothing as they were decapitated, the bodies slumped over and their spears clattered on the ground. Mortred managed to catch the cadavers before they armor could hit the ground and no doubt alert the other patrols.

She handled the dead weight with ease and slowly laid them on the cobblestone. The assassin slipped a vial from her belt and coated a dagger with it. She stabbed each body once and both began to dissolve rapidly, the magical venom consumed the armor as easily as the flesh. Soon no traces of either guard were left at the gate. The assassin slipped inside the keep and prepared herself for the next part of her mission.

Mortred chuckled.

_All too easy._

* * *

><p>Nevermore threw another bolt of his demonfire against a tree. It toppled over with a large chunk of wood burned away, leaving only a jagged back edge on one end where the attack had struck. He grabbed the log with his right claw and effortlessly threw it over to the pile he had begun accumulating.<p>

He counted seven logs, including the one he had just tossed. Shadow Fiend had managed to gather enough trees to create a bonfire and still have enough left over to construct a medium sized log cabin. Nonetheless he had fulfilled the task of gathering firewood, enough of several weeks of constant burning.

_Hmmm, this should be sufficient for now._

The abyssal took four logs, two in each arm and began his return journey back to the landing site. He was careful not to accidentally swing his burden into any of the trees in his path. No doubt it would cause quite a ruckus and possibly give his position away.

He could still access the collection of souls in the Absym, but none of them seemed to have visited this realm before; something that was unprecedented. It could have had something to do with the catastrophic damage done to the land, invisible to the naked eye, but Nevermore's sight was anything but normal.

Shadow Fiend could still see where small crevices in the ground bled arcanic fluid, the terrain was not healing and the corrupted veins of the earth were not mending.

He eyed the mana hungrily.

Nevermore stopped to think about the possible consequences: normally, extracting magic from the ground was simple, but not worth the effort for an entity like him. But this magic was _twisted, _with pain, suffering, misery and death; all the things that Shadow Fiend looked for in a good meal. Even if the energy was horrifically unstable, the worse it could do was destroy his physical form and send him back to the Abysm for a few centuries or millennia before he could form a new body.

Although interrogating and torturing souls over and over and over again could be fun, it usually got old after a few decades.

He pressed the palm of his claw against a crack underneath him and felt a surge of power.

So much power in fact that he ascended into his Demon Eater form for a few seconds before he regained control and managed to suppress it.

_Oops_.

Nevermore looked around of the logs he had been carrying before he saw the piles of ash around him. He shook his head before returning to the three fallen trees he had left behind and prepared to transport them back to the meeting area.

_Perhaps I should consult Kael on this..._

* * *

><p>Silencer moved purposefully through the forest, though with what purpose not even he was sure. Since he had minimal experience in the wilderness and the Aeol Drias had not prepared him to survive on his own, focusing more on the petty magics they expected him to master.<p>

But he had fulfilled their prophecy in his own way, showing the arrogant mages that fate could not be controlled by the likes of them.

Nortrom recalled the day his preceptors his berated him for not being able to utilize spells. Their harsh words were combined with the mocking laughter of his fellow apprentices as they jeered at him, unknowingly making what came next all the sweeter.

As he entered the small dueling arena, his opponent smiled smugly at him. "Ah so I'm against the _mute_ hm?" The boy spat out the word like an insult; which, of course, it was.

Nortrom was armed with a throwing glaive and shield, an odd combination that would not have worked for anyone but him. His unique gift required him to be well defended but at the same time keep his distance, something his equipment did extremely well.

He met the eye of a preceptor looking down from the seating area and caught the unmasked disgust emanating from the gaze. Nonetheless, the man nodded, signaling that the duel was to commence.

Just as his opponent's lips parted to deliver an incantation, Nortrom slammed his shield down and all became silent. The other boy realized something was wrong he couldn't hear himself speak. The mana he had fed to the spell pitifully puttered out. He panicked and tried again only to meet with the same result.

Silencer slowly walked forward, relishing every moment of power over the other child. He spun his glaive as he approached the whimpering apprentice and gave a sickeningly sweet smile.

With deadly accuracy he flicked his wrist and sent the glaive into the boy's shoulder, rendering his left arm useless as a blade had pierced into his arm socket. His opponent screamed in pain but heard nothing, Nortrom's silence was still in effect.

He withdrew the glaive and placed the bloodied spoke on the boy's throat.

Silencer mouth the words: _Do you yield?_

The child nodded frantically and sound finally returned.

Nortrom looked at the preceptors, catching the gaze of the same man as before. He now saw fear and worry in his eyes, as well as a small amount of awe.

As he faced down his next opponent, this time, it was him with the smug smile.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Told ya he would be a badass. Alrightly so next chapter should definitely be interesting, cause the champions will be arriving :DDDD**

**On a side note I decided to go through a little bit of each hero's backstory to familiarize anyone that may not know DotA too well and it may also be relevant to the plot eventually.**

**Paradoxjr – That would be fun to see. I'll record that somewhere in preparation for a future chapter. Thank you for the idea!**

**The True Skull – Oh ho! That would be interesting to do... I'll see if I can make it work :)**

**Wxikky – Why thank you good sir! I sincerely hope I don't mess up my own plot. Romance shall be slow and steady indeed! I'll make sure it hits you all in the feels.**

**Sarle33321 – YUS! I'll add those to the list along with paradoxjr's idea. I wonder if brewmaster's three spirits can drink too?**

**Once I finish the main story I'll create another story just for one shot meetings and stuff. So make sure to keep leaving ideas, and of course, credit will be rightfully given to the person who suggests it.**

**And as always, if you have any comments, criticisms, ships or one shot ideas, don't hesitate to leave them in the reviews!**

**Thanks for reading and cya next time!**


	5. Camping

**A/N: Finals week murdered me. But now that it's over I will be writing at a much faster pace!**

**I think I'll do the majority of my chapters in Kael's perspective, but do tell me how you like it.**

**If there are any errors please make sure to notify me.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Gondar was the first to return, dragging back with him his bearskin sled of meat and berries.<p>

Invoker returned a second later and the two stared as Phantom Assassin had a decapitated deer slung over her shoulder, and its head held in her other hand, nonchalantly walking to them.

Before Bounty Hunter could question her strength, Silencer appeared in the clearing, holding a number of geese by the necks, all with neat holes where their hearts would be located.

Nevermore strode out of the forest with three logs balanced over his shoulders and set them down before floating over to the four others.

"Well done." Gondar nodded. "Invoker, construct the shelter, I'm sure you can calculate the best structure we can build from our current materials. I will prepare the animals for consumption."

Kael spoke, "A moment, if you will, I need to examine the minds of the animals first, I would like to see if we may gain any information."

"How does that work?" Mortred questioned.

"I am not limited to the spells you see me use upon the battlefields."

Bounty Hunter chuckled. "I don't think limited is the right word."

The magician motioned for Silencer to give him one of the geese. Nortrom threw the birds to the ground and quickly stepped away, not wishing to come in contact with the immortal.

He placed his hand over the head of one of the avians, whispering several unintelligible words that echoed much farther than they should. A few seconds of silence a dark expression flitted across his face before it disappeared.

"From what I can discern, there is a caravan headed here, three carriages and several horses. They seems to be heavily armed and will arrive here within the next two days."

Nortrom narrowed his eyes. "Why should we trust you? And how are you so sure?"

Kael sighed. "I cannot return alone and as such, I need the five of you with me. It would be detrimental to my progress to eliminate the rest of you. As for the convoy: I don't make mistakes, you will see that when they arrive in forty eight hours."

"We should do what we can to ensure our survival at the moment and keep a secure perimeter at all times." interjected Gondar.

The mage nodded. "My forge spirits will take care of that; if they detect an outside presence I will be alerted and the spirit will disperse." Kael continued, "EMPs have been placed in a five hundred meter radius in case anything bypasses my fabrications"

Bounty Hunter nodded. "I'll skin and gut the animals, Invoker will build the shelter. Shadow Fiend can take care of the fire I'm sure."

The abyssal being nodded before he began to slice the logs into beams with unerring precision.

Gondar eyed him and wondered why the thing was being so docile and obedient. Perhaps Invoker had instructed him to follow his orders. But then again: why would Nevermore listen to Kael?

Putting the thought aside, he began to cut apart the animals like Soruq had taught him, he could imagine the old hunter's voice as his knife split its skin.

_Start down the middle, keep the hide intact, it's easier to use that way._

_Slow and steady, make sure not to pierce the stomach; wouldn't want the organs to spill out._

_Now separate the limbs and detach the head._

Gondar cut the flesh from the severed appendages and placed it into a pile before he continued.

He cut the fat from the carcass, laying it upon the hide as it would still be useful later. He used his blades to split open its ribcage to get to the fillets that ran along the spine from the bottom of the rib cage to just before the hind legs. Bounty took out the organs and deposited the on the ground. He cut the flesh from its shoulders and stacked them on to the makeshift rug of fur.

* * *

><p>While he was busy, Kael had gone through several millenia of possible architectural designs for the shelter.<p>

Hazdalian? Claddish? Perhaps he should build it in the likeness of the Aeol Drias' Hidden Cantonment

No that would aggravate Silencer to a maddening degree. It was sure to be entertaining but also something Invoker didn't want to do. Yet.

He settled on constructing a hut used by the people of the Barrens, strong and durable, along with the bonus that it could be quickly assembled and disassembled. The only problem was that the Hazdalians were recruited by the Knights of the Fold, the very order that Nortrom was locked in combat with. But Kael doubted he knew what one of their civilian buildings looked like, the two sides were far too engrossed in combat to learn about the other aspects of their cultures.

With one log being used for firewood, Nevermore had already cut the other two into thin beams and placed them in a pile.

"Bounty Hunter, may I use the bear hide?" asked Kael.

Gondar nodded and took the fat and meat from where it laid and tossed the bearskin to him.

Invoker picked it up and placed it on top of the wood along with a few down goose feathers he had plucked earlier. He whispered a few words, causing a small whirlwind sprang up. It moved over to the stack of supplies and sucked them into the vortex. After a few seconds of the materials tumbling around in the tornado, the beams were carefully deposited in precise locations, followed by a thin wraparound of hide, finishing the construction of the Hazdalian hut.

Kael strode inside and inspected the chairs, tables and bunk beds complete with bedding and down pillows. Satisfied he exited the building and was met with the sight of Mortred staring intensely at the structure.

"What." He raised an eyebrow. "Are you doing?"

The assassin turned to face him. "Since when could you do that?"

"My application of spells ranges far beyond what I use on the battlefield." He replied as he made his way to where Shadow Fiend was blasting a pit into the dirt with his demonfire.

As Mortred pondered over what he had said, Kael tapped on Nevermore's shoulder and drew the abyssal being's attention.

"Digging a pit with your claws would be much simpler than trying to burn away the ground my friend."

The demon blinked, signified by the two red dots on his face disappearing for a moment. "Ahh, of course. Sometimes these souls get the better of me; I really should organize them soon. Thank you Invoker."

The mage only chuckled and walked over to Gondar, who had finished skinning and cleaning the game, having made three neat piles of meat, organs, and other usable material, like bear tallow or goose feathers. He took off his backpack and carefully searched within, after a few seconds produced a small towel in which he used to clean his hands with.

"Need something?" asked Gondar as he felt Invoker stopping a few feet behind him.

Kael shook his head. "I am awaiting you to finish preparations for the meal."

He received no reply as the tracker fished inside his bag and brought out a canteen and a metal pot. The mage watched as Bounty Hunter chose a large chunk of bear meat from the pile and tossed it into the vessel before filling it with water from his flask.

"Has Shadow Fiend lit the-" Invoker interrupted Gondar and raised three fingers. Kael mouthed the words:

_Three._

_Two._

_One._

The last digit of the immortal was lowered. At the same time a loud _FWOOSH_ came from behind him. A roaring fire came from a large pit dug in the dirt, a small pile of logs could be seen burning in the middle.

Kael glanced at the hunter to see him shrug his shoulders and proceed towards the cooking pit. Mortred seemed to have given up thinking about the construction spell and joined him. Silencer had been practicing his glaive throwing, despite that the fact that it was virtually perfect, and now made his way to the depression, albeit keeping the other heroes at arms length.

The mage observed the four of them for a moment, memorizing anything that might have changed in comparison to his last examination.

He spotted only minor differences, nothing significant enough to remember. Invoker decided he would purge the memories at a later time and walked over to them.

Gondar had managed to fashion a cooking tripod on which the pot now hung from. There was an awkward silence as the five heroes waited for the soup to come to a boil. Nevermore seemed to have drifted off as the red in his eyes were no longer as focused as before, almost giving the impression that he was drunk.

Kael chuckled at the thought, drawing the attention of the three other present beings.

Nortrom glared at the mage hatefully, as expected. Gondar lazily glanced at him before turning back to tend to the stew, throwing in a few herbs and spices from his backpack for flavor. Mortred's gaze flickered to him for a moment before narrowing ever so slightly at Bounty Hunter.

_By the Dead God I can already see where this is going... _thought Invoker as he inspected the duo.

_Hmm, this should be entertaining. Especially with my direct intervention. _He nearly grinned at the flawless speculation but kept his face expressionless, lest he draw the attention of the other heroes again. _I'll give them two days until the first incident. Then it will only be a matter of time..._

"Soup's done."

The sound of Gondar's voice cut through the silence as a delicious smell wafted from the boiling pot. Shadow Fiend was awoken from his trance and eyed the pot for a moment before looking disappointed. Kael joined Bounty Hunter along with Silencer and Phantom Assassin. The tracker had produced a ladle, four bowls and a similar number of spoons from his knapsack and was now filling them with soup.

"No share for Nevermore?" asked the assassin.

Before Gondar could reply Kael answered for him, "He consumes sentient souls for sustenance. Unless you would like to offer yours, we will have to wait until an opportunity arises for him to feast."

"That much should have been obvious." muttered the tracker, gaining the ire of Mortred. She was about to utter a retort but Kael gave her a disapproving stare. The assassin childishly grumbled and huffed but remained relatively silent and returned to her soup.

Invoker cautiously tasted the soup and found the ingredients to be simple yet they combined to make an exquisite flavor. It seemed that the others found the meal to be agreeable as well if the slight draining of tension from Mortred's shoulders, the dilation of Nortrom's pupils and the contented sigh Gondar gave as he sampled his culinary creation were anything to go by.

After they finished their meals, Kael led them to the hut he constructed and showed them the furnishings he had taken the liberty of creating.

"Replication spell." Invoker said in reply to the unspoken question. "It is much easier to copy something to create it from scratch."

By tacit agreement each hero chose a bed, with the two exceptions of Silencer and Shadow Fiend.

Nortrom eyed the bed distastefully before exiting without a word. Nevermore looked around the hut for a moment and spoke, "I have no need for sleep. I will meditate outside."

After the demon left Gondar asked, "He meditates?"

Kael shook his head. "In a way, he converses with and tortures souls to for entertainment, and as a way to pass the time."

Bounty Hunter gave non-committal grunt and rolled over in his bed and covered himself with the bear fur blanket.

Invoker and Phantom Assassin did likewise and soon the only sound filling the building was quiet breathing.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: The pace of the story is going to pick up ALOT next chapter so be prepared for that!**

**Sarle33321: My sincerest apologies for the long delay, I will not abandon this story at any point so no fear of that. The other five are in a separate location, you'll just have to wait and see when they meet up with these five.**

**Guest kappa: Oh man they would go crazy if undying, wraith king, pudge and/or death prophet (or any other hero really) suddenly appear in Valoran. :3**

**Skipper311: Sir yes sir!**

**Paradoxjr: Silencer is damn terrifying if he manages to go hyper carry. Glad to see that you my take on Kael! I thought it would be boring if he was just arrogant all the time, so combined with a genius intellect it does curb his ego... a little bit. The pairing will get more interesting with time. Just wait :)**

**If you have any comments, criticisms, ships or one shot ideas, don't hesitate to leave them in the reviews!**

**Thank you for reading and see you next time!**


End file.
